We've Got it Too!

The first, official, case of the coronavirus in Greece was reported yesterday way up north and today there are three more hospitalised in Athens.  

It's spreading.

Downtown today the ships' chandler shop had a big case of antiseptic handwash on sale and they are selling builders masks at a terrific rate.  You know, those masks that people sanding floors use, stiff white industrial masks.  I presume the chemists have sold out of the others.

Round at the supermarket they were doing a shelf check to stockpile essentials for when the virus hits us here.

I can see the island being cut off,  Supplies dumped on the jetty across on the mainland to be picked up by overalled workers from Poros who will spray the boxes with antiseptic before loading them on the car ferry.  All done without any contact with the contaminated mainlanders.  That's of course if supply lorries are allowed on the roads and warehouses are still sending supplies.  Who knows

This is a long weekend, the last three days of carnival with parades, concerts and frenzied revelry all over the country.  It has all been cancelled, even here.   In the city of Patras and elsewhere they have been making floats and costumes for the big parade for over 6 months.  The people say they will still come out and dance in the streets.  No virus is keeping their spirit down.

The eternal flame for this years Olympic games is due to be lit with great ceremony on March 12 at ancient Olympia.  But there are hushed whispers that the Olympic games may be cancelled as well.
The Olympic flame should be carried by teams of runners for 8 days throughout Greece before being sent on to Tokyo where it is/should be relayed through Japan before ending up at the opening ceremnoy in Tokyo on July 24.  We shall see.

There is no panic here.  No shelf emptying.  Everyone is talking about it in the cafes though.  Joking about it.  

The places where it might spread  are the refugee camps.  Greece is finally building closed refugee 'towns' with container housing, wifi, aircon, schools, hospitals,  meals provided.  They are supposed to be a more humane way of housing 20,000 refugees, with barbed wire fences, and no entry or exit without proper papers.  There has been fierce fighting with police on the islands where the refugees are centred.  Islanders want the refugees to be housed elsewhere in Greece..  The refugees don't want to be there.  Greece is only supposed to be a brief stop for them before continuing on to Germany and France and the rest of Europe.  Who doesn't want them.  

I thought I heard the PM saying that greece would not accept anymore refugees.  That's impossible.  Turkish leader Erdogan is sending them over the sea in leaking boats as fast as he can.  

K is watching football, Arsenal playing Olympiakos, the Piraeus team.  The greeks have already lost one match against Arsenal and that was played in their home stadium.  K is very quiet.  

We saw the Greek team getting off the plane in England, all wearing face masks.  The government was going to cancel all football matches from today onwards but they seem to have gone back on that.  This weekend's football is going to take place as normal.  There would be rioting and throwing of molotov cocktails if all entertainment was suddenly taken away from the greeks.

Updates to come, no doubt.